ATHENS - Greek party leaders have agreed on house speaker Filippos
Petsalnikos to head the country's new coalition government, barring any
last-minute changes, sources from the two major parties said on
Wednesday.

"We have agreed on Petsalnikos but things can change between now and
when the prime minister sees the president," a source close to the
discussions between the ruling Socialists and the conservative
opposition New Democracy told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Outgoing Prime Minister George Papandreou and opposition leader Antonis
Samaras had been locked in talks since Sunday on who will lead a new
government to take the country to elections in February.